Prevalence of Intracranial Aneurysms in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: Report from a Single Reference Center.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neurologic manifestations in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia include an increased incidence of brain abscesses and ischemic strokes due to paradoxic embolization in addition to a wide spectrum of symptoms and complications due to typical brain vascular malformations. Intracranial aneurysms are not part of this brain vascular malformation spectrum. The aim of this study was to determine their prevalence in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study. Adult patients from the institutional Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia registry with a definitive diagnosis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and an available report or angiographic imaging study were included and reviewed to determine the intracranial aneurysm prevalence. In addition, the morphologic characteristics of intracranial aneurysms and possible associated risk factors were collected. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-eight patients were analyzed. Thirty-seven aneurysms in 33 patients (14.5%; 95% CI, 9.9%-19%) were found. The median diameter of intracranial aneurysms was 3.2 mm (interquartile range, 2.6-4.4 mm). No association between intracranial aneurysm and sex, age, or genetic background was noted. There were no subarachnoid hemorrhagic events due to intracranial aneurysm rupture. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the high prevalence of intracranial aneurysms in adult patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, further studies regarding bleeding risks and monitoring should be addressed.

Craniectomía descompresiva en adultos / Decompressive craniectomy in adults

Introducción: La craniectomía descompresiva (CD) se indica principalmente en el control de la hipertensión endocraneana (HTE) secundaria a stroke isquémico y hemorrágico, y en el traumatismo encefalocraneano grave. Objetivo: Comunicar nuestra experiencia con CD para el manejo de HTE aguda en casos seleccionados. Material: Sobre una serie de 619 pacientes neuroquirúrgicos tratados durante el período comprendido entre 6/1999 y 1/2001 se presentan 7 pacientes sometidos a CD. Las indicaciones fueron de tratamiento de HTE aguda (pacientes seleccionados: 3 con TEC grave, 3 con stroke isquémico y un caso de hemorragia subaracnoidea). Resultados: Se evaluaron los resultados en cuanto a sobrevida y pronóstico neurológico a través del Glasgow Outcome Scale al 1º, 3º y 6º mes postoperatorio. GOS de 5: 2 casos, GOS de 3: 3 casos, fallecidos (GOS 1): 2 casos Conclusión: Las publicaciones actualizadas no presentan aún un nivel de evidencia adecuado para soportar con buen grado de recomendación la indicación de CD, aunque los resultados observados con esta práctica indican que la misma puede ser apropiada en casos seleccionados. Palabras clave: Craniectomía descompresiva. Hipertensión endocraneana. Stroke. Trauma grave de cráneo. (AU)

Introduction: The use of decompressive craniectomy (DC) is limited nowadays to control intracranial hypertension secondary to stroke, and in the management of severe head injury. Objective: Report that DC is an important tool to treat patients with acute intracranial hypertension due to stroke and severe head injury. Patients and Methods: Out of a series of 619 patients treated between June 1999 to January 2001, we present 6 patients who underwent DC to treat intracranial hypertension. Results: All patients were evaluated postoperatively with the Glasgow Outcome Scale at 1st, 3rd and 6th month. Two patients had a GOS 5, 3 patients had a GOS 3 and 2 patient died (GOS 1). Conclusion: Publications do not have yet an appropriate level of evidence to support DC with a high grade of recommendation. Otherwise, the results obtained with this technique suggest that it could be useful in selected cases. Key words: Decompressive craniectomy. Intracranial hypertension. Traumatic brain injury. Stroke (AU)

Microsurgical anatomy of the temporal lobe: part 1: mesial temporal lobe anatomy and its vascular relationships as applied to amygdalohippocampectomy.

OBJECTIVE: We review the anatomy of the mesial temporal lobe region, establishing the relationships among the intraventricular, extraventricular, and surrounding vascular structures and their angiographic characterization. We also demonstrate the clinical application of these anatomic landmarks in an anatomic temporal lobectomy plus amygdalohippocampectomy. METHODS: Fifty-two adult cadaveric hemispheres and 12 adult cadaveric heads were studied, using a magnification ranging from 3x to 40x, after perfusion of the arteries and veins with colored latex. RESULTS: The intraventricular elements are the hippocampus, fimbria, amygdala, and choroidal fissure; the extraventricular elements are the uncus and parahippocampal and dentate gyri. The uncus has an anterior segment, an apex, and a posterior segment that has an inferior and a posteromedial surface; the uncus is related medially to cisternal elements and laterally to intraventricular elements. The anterior segment is related to the proximal sylvian fissure, internal carotid artery, proximal M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery, proximal cisternal anterior choroidal artery, and amygdala. The apex is related to the oculomotor nerve, uncal recess, and amygdala; the posteromedial surface is related to the P2A segment of the posterior cerebral artery inferiorly, to the distal cisternal anterior choroidal artery superiorly, and to the head of the hippocampus and amygdala intraventricularly. The choroidal fissure is located between the thalamus and fimbria; it begins at the inferior choroidal point behind the head of the hippocampus and constitutes the medial wall of the posterior two-thirds of the temporal horn. CONCLUSION: Not only is the knowledge of these relations useful to angiographically characterize the mesial temporal region, but it has also proven to be of extreme value during microsurgeries involving this region.